Baseboard structure



Jan. 22, 1935. D, MCLAREN E AL 1,988,603

BASEBOARD STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 19, 1931 III) gwumlocd 000 A. lll-Qaren and Patented Jan. 22, 19 35 air-Flee I I I: 1,988,603 I II BASE-BOARD s ncmne I V Don A. McLaren. and Albert QrLarsong w I. I II I I Minneapolis, I I

Application october 19, 1931; Serial No 569 636 5 "sperms. (01.189-87) Ourinvention relates to. improvements messeboardistructures andjhasfiniits contemplation the provisionofa simple; durable, unitary structure] cons'titutinga footing for a "partition walland.

fi pr'ov'iding' baseboard members for. and atl'either side of the wall structure;

An object. of thejinvention'isto provide a unitarystructure of. the present character, whereby,

in-theus'e thereof, the numberfof'joperatioris re- 10* quired in the initial construction of. a partition may be;mate'ri ally reducedv and; whereby, in the event of the-necessity of shifting such partition, the

operations required in dismantling and recon} struction: may be limited and the workexpeditiouslyeffected with a minimum of waste in the.

matria'ls-and'without mutilation of the floor.

fin object of the invention resides in'. supplying an-article-'- of the present nature formed from sheet metal-fin -channe1=like formation, to"pro'-' vide a web upon which the ,wall proper may be constructed andto-provide legs for the purpose of'sust'aini-ng the weight of-t'he wall and also for the purpose of providing the ultimate baseboard I members for the wall'structure.

such a channel-like footing for a. wall structure in which anchoring devices forc'a'rpet nailing strips are incorporated in the construction or the I leg members: y I j I Other objects of theginvention reside in the. novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter illus-i that the baseboard structure illustrated: Fig..

1 andindicatedz initsentirety by the numeral 10;

iss forr ned from. sheet metal-,- bent or rolled to provide, a.unitary channel-likestructure.the. web:

thereoflbeing indicated at 11- and the legs .at; 5 12an'dZI3; 'Ihislstructure is so arranged that the web" 11 thereof occupies a horizontal position at the uppermost portionoff the structure where it may directly'j receive the weight. of the wall;

H the two leg members 12 and l3ith'e'reof, in such. "disposition ofthe structure; forming two base-:

board members which. transmit the weight of the whimtheznoorz- .Ati ithe lower portions of the legs1'2""and- 1'3 are" outwardly projecting flanges or feet 14 and 15 which support the base- 6 board structure upon the floor of the building.

Another object of-the "invention. is to supply Such construction holds said} baseboard members- I properly. spaced. and stifiensthe. entire structure- 'ba'seboard members l2 'and l3' may be formed;

Forthe "purpose. of illustrating the, applica.- tion ofthe invention, a portion of a floor has. been shownwhich is' i'rldicatedat- 16. In the construction of I the. wallfor partition, which. is indicated in its" entirety; at 1.7, the baseboard-structure 10; is. 5 merely placed. upon the fioorI 16' in the desired. locality amine building, o fthe wallcommenced.

'Ihe' body 18.0'iithe wall 17. is .builtupon the web. 11

oi."thej.baseb'oard structure mediallythereof. If tile or. gypsum. block construction is employedthe tileor blocksj aremerely laid upon the web 1'1 ancl'th'e partition 13? 'built to;the required height in the usual manner- After; t-hebody-llof the wall has been'fini'sh'ed, the plastering i9, Zllmay-be applied. in the-usual. manner. An inspection of Fig. 1 will show thatthe web 11 of thebaseboard.

structure is considerably wider thanthe body; 18 ofjth'e wallleaving ledg'esZ-l and.22 at either side I of the wall for. the plastering,- the width of said ledges being equal to thethickness otthe plastering. After the wall has been plastered, the baseboard rhembers 12 and 13 are washed and the wall is then complete. I

For the. purpose of reinforcing thebaseboard structure, a. number of tie members 23s are em; pl'oyed, the same being. formed at their ends with flanges. 24 and 25 which. are weldedor otherwise secured to said: baseboardmembersvlz and: 132' so'that it will carry the load of a wall or'partition without buckling, or otherwisebecoming distorted." 2

In addition to their. functions in supplying weight sustaining legs ahdbaseboard members; the parts lzand 13 of our improvement provide anchorages for. carpet. .n'ailingi strips, such as wehave shown} at 2 6,"27 in the drawing; These-nailing strips, which may beef wood, are preferably wedge-shaped in' cross section and are placed upon the flanges 14 and 15. or. th baseboard: I structure. To. hold. these strips: in position,- lips I 23 and 29 are turned upwardly at the free edges of said flanges, to engage the carpetstrips. and.

ho1dthe1n laterally. immovable. Inorderto keepthese nailing strips. 26, 27' from rising; outof the 1 sockets for rnedlby flanges- 14, l 5-and the lips;

28; 29 when tensioniis'iap'plied toflthecarpetg-thewith apertures 30 along the lower portions thereof-2 through which nails'may. .be directly driven into; I

'thecarpet strips. If desired lugs may be struck out of the saidbaseb'o'ard members orother forms of protuberancesiormed thereonror the purpose: of engaging. the. carpet nailing strips 26,-. 2'7 and holdin'gfthemfirl placewithin their. respective sockets m ne. presentconnectionait will be understood that we contemplate the use of carpet nailing strips of material other than wood, it being obvious that any of a number of the well known self-setting plastic or mastic substances, suitable for the purpose, can be molded in the sockets or forms provided by said flanges 14, 15 and lips 28, 29.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, we have shown carpeting 31' resting upon cushions or pads 32. These pads extend up to the lips 28, 29 while the carpeting 31 overlies the nailing strips 26, 27 and is tacked thereto in the usual manner. I

When the wall is built as shown in the drawing, the two baseboard members 12 and 13- are exposed and constitute the ornamental part of- To enhance the appearance of said members, the upper portions the baseboard structure.

thereof, indicated at 41 and 42 may be bent or rolled in an ornamental manner to simulate molding; Such construction, aside from improving theappearance of the baseboard'structure, stifiens the same so that the entire structure, is more capable of supporting the load without buckling or otherwise being distorted and so that a lighter material maybe usedin the construction of" the baseboard structure. And suchconstruc tion', in' its preferred form, supplies grounds for the plasterers screed, which are of great utility in'the plastering of wall18. In each of the three figures'of the drawing, the plastering grounds are shown, the same being provided in the uppermost inset portions of the legs 12 and 13.

The baseboard structures shown in Fig. '2,

nection with 'walls built up from the floor, constitute anchoring elements for carpet nailing strips as in the form illustrated in Fig. 1. Referring to Fig.2, it will be observed that the baseboard'me'mbers 12 and 13 are separately constructed, said members having portions 50 forming the ledges 21 and 22 and further having attaching flanges 33, 34 bent'upwardly from said portions 50. Said flanges33y34 may be fastened to' the wall 35, as, by nails 3'7 and the flanges 14, 15 at the lower portions of the members 12', 13 likewisemay be fastened to the floor 36, as by nails'38. with the lips 28, 29 thereon form anchoring socketsfor nailing strips 26, 27 as in the structure shown in Fig. 1. H 1 1 1 The baseboard structure illustrated in Fig. 3 is similar to the form shownin Fig. 1, except that the nailing strip feature. is omitted, the flanges, indicated by the reference numerals 45, 46, at the lower portions of the baseboard members 12 and 13 beingturned inwardly instead of outwardly. portion of the baseboard members 12 and 13 are ofiset, as designated at 47, to simulate a quarterround or other molding such .as is customarily v used at'the floor line of baseboards.

Among the numerous advantages residing in our'invention, it is to. be noted that the baseboardstructure provided is simple, durable and inexpensive in construction; that in the footing provided therebyythe weight supporting legs constitute the exposed ornamental baseboard members; that a wall in which the baseboard structure is employed as a constituent part may be' readily and economically constructed due to thesaving efiected in'materials and in opera-.

tions, as" well; that neither floor nor. baseboard structure need be mutilated in the forming, of a wall structure employing our improvement as a footing therein and that such a wall structure may be readily shifted, the work requiring-only of what is claimed, without Said flanges 14, 15 together In this form (Fig. 3), the lower a limited number of operations and entailing but relatively slight loss in materials during the dismantling and rebuilding processes.

In providingcarpet nailing strips and secure anchorages therefor in the form 'of baseboard structure shown in Fig. 1', there is no necessity of sinking such nailing strips into a floor, or otherwise mutilating the floor, as by the use of nails,

, screws or anchoring plugs for securing such strips in place. And it is to be remembered that the "sockets'provided by the flanges 14, 15' and lips 28, 29, not only supply holders for nailing strips of wood, but, also constitute molds in which plastic or mastic materials may be spread to form a nailing medium for the reception of the carpet tacks. v

In the form of "device shown Fig. 2,,the flanges 14, 15, integrally formed with the baseboard members 12, 13, andprovided with the lips 28; 29, answer the same purpose as the similarly designated parts in Fig. 1.

In ofiice buildings, stores, hotels, clubs and other buildings, where carpeting to the wallsis .co'mmonly employed, the use of the form' of our invention, as shown. in Fig. 1, in connection with partition walls and the use of the form of our invention, as shown in Fig.2, i'n-connectionwith side or permanent walls, is extremely advantageous as will be readily comprehended.

'I'he'integral, unitary construction in which the their usual loose trim are entirely eliminated and many of the difficultiescustomarily encountered in the carpeting of hard surface flooring are removed.

Changes in the specific form of our invention as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope spirit of our invention I Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A baseboard structure comprising a channelshaped member, the web thereof providing a rest to support a superimposed wall and the legs servdeparting from the legs not only support the load of the wall and proing to carry said wall and provide, finished base 1 members at either side thereof, said legs being formed at the lower portions thereofwith flanges to bear upon the floor under theweight of the wall, and means cooperating with said flanges for anchoring carpet nailing strips to said legs.

2. A baseboard structure including an'exposed base-member having a floor flange turned out-.;

wardly from the lower portion thereof, said flange having a lip turned upwardly atits outer edge,

said flange and lip constitutinga holder for receiving a carpet nailing strip and securing the 5 same with respect to said member.

3. A baseboard structure comprising a channelshaped member, thewebthereofproviding a restwall and the legs 'se'rvingtocarry said wall and to provide. finished base to'support a superimposed members at either side thereof, said legs being I formed at their lower portions with flanges to bear upon the floor, carpet nailing stripsadapted tobe.

seated upon said flanges and means turned up from the flanges for holding said .strips against di'slodgment therefrom- ALBERT O. LARSON.

' DON A. McLAREN." 

